What's supposed to happen with Mars on 8/27?

I was in a 7-Eleven night before last and the clerk (ratty looking meth head) started in on a rant about some cycle Mars is supposed to go through this Friday that only happens every blah blah million years. I was interested but in a rush and the guy seemed anxious a little out of his head... Anyway, on my way out he said that the event isn't anything special, but it's what happens after that will be out of this world.

I googled around a bit but couldn't find anything.

Any astrology enthusiasts have any idea what this guy was talking about?

Or has this guy just smoked one bag too much?

Thanks for input.

Its a hoax email.
Had a few people ask me about this one...

www.snopes.com...

reply to post by NewWorldDisorder

NewWorldDisorder,

I have no idea what the guy was talking about but when I use Google in combination with the following search: "position mars alignment 27 aug 2010"

It takes me to the following rumor:

Supposedly Mars is supposed to look as big as the moon to the naked eye. Mars and our Moon will both be visible in the night sky at the exact same time. This isn't going to happen ever again for 60,000 years, and no human has ever witnessed this

So......

Nasa

Yep....it's the end of the world. Unfortunately we all missed it because it was in 2003. Enjoy everybody....

Explanation snopes.com

Peace

[edit on 24-8-2010 by operation mindcrime]

Much appreciated for both of your replies.

Thanks for clearing this up!

Well I know it's been answered, but I haven't posted anything for a while, so I'm going to answer too! It's a hoax email that has been going round for years. The email itself doesn't state a year that this will happen, just the month, so every year, people think it's 'this year'. What it actually means is that, if it were possible, if you looked at the moon with one eye and looked through a telescope at Mars with the other, they would look the same size.

I'm not sure if it is an actual hoax, as such, because apparently there is something about where the paragraphs cut off and start which means it may well be just an accidental line insertion. Either way, nothing much will happen to Mars, though I think it will become quite bright (brightest in the sky for a while? Not sure about that, I may be imagining it).

[edit on 24-8-2010 by ShadowArcher]

It's not like we missed it. It comes closer every 3-6 years.

reply to post by NewWorldDisorder


Mars comes closer to Earth and will be the first time in nearly 5000 yrs. and may not be back for another 60,000 yrs. Mars will be 34,649,589 miles away from Earth and next to the moon due to Jupiter gravity influence pulling on it. Mars is to appear as large as Moon. Its supposed to rise in the East @ 10:30pm and reach its azimuth @3:30am. Enjoy it. So if any are planning to jump from Earth to Mars then this would be the day as Mars will be its closest...



S&F op good catch

[edit on 8/24/10 by Ophiuchus 13]

How the crap do you delete a post?!

[edit on 24-8-2010 by ShadowArcher]

Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
reply to post by NewWorldDisorder

 

Mars comes closer to Earth and will be the first time in nearly 5000 yrs. and may not be back for another 60,000 yrs. Mars will be 34,649,589 miles away from Earth and next to the moon due to Jupiter gravity influence pulling on it.

Mars is to appear as large as Moon

. Its supposed to rise in the East @ 10:30pm and reach its azimuth @3:30am. Enjoy it. So if any are planning to jump from Earth to Mars then this would be the day as Mars will be its closest...

S&F op good catch

[edit on 8/24/10 by Ophiuchus 13]

Dont you mean it will be in the western sky?

It actually rises in the east in the morning hours after the Sun rises, so the rising of mars cant be seen. When the Sun sets in the west, mars can be seen sitting by Venus. There will be a short time window to see Mars (and it wont be the size of the moon, I think we all know that) because it will set (everything moving westwardly) following the Sun. I would say 10pm is too late to see mars...I think it will have already set below the west horizon.

But for those that want to have a look see...this is what the western sky will look like...




Wait for the Sun to set, you will be able to find Venus easily before dark. After dark...find Venus again, see if you can see a red light close by.

reply to post by NewWorldDisorder


I would use astronomy for answers...before using astrology.

Astrology will not offer you the real positions of the spheres. If you are ever wanting to observe something in the sky...use astronomy for facts.

NOAA (BEWARE THE MARS HOAX: For the seventh year in a row, an email is circulating the internet claiming that Mars will approach Earth and swell to the size of a full Moon on August 27th. It's an historic event! It's also a hoax. Mars will be 314 million km from Earth on August 27th, shining in the western sunset sky like an ordinary red star of medium brightness. To see Mars as large as the full Moon, you'll have to board a spaceship.)

reply to post by LeoVirgo


Thanks for clarifying the data friend.
2nd

I help with a youth astronomy program out of my local library, loaning my telescopes and teaching kids basic astronomy. Because of the time this takes place in, I have a lot of parents standing around trying to make idle chat.

Eventually I was forced to start using the library printer to print up the snopes story to hand to parents as I had no time to explain this load of bull. Almost every parent would ask me that, and it's happened for the last 4 years.